$64K grant to provide AIDS/HIV education

Southern University was recently awarded a $64,000 grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration to provide substance abuse and HIV prevention education.
“Its important to Southern because we are a predominantly black institution and we are the most at risk,” said Murelle Harrison, chairperson of the department of psychology and co-principle investigator.
The grant will allow the university to implement a training program with 25 elected peer educators to conduct health sessions on substance abuse and HIV in campus dormitories.
It will also implement over 100 on-campus health events with a goal of reaching 2,000 students.
Three campus activities are planned between February and May to educate students on substance abuse and HIV prevention.
Southern will also work with contractors to place public service announcements through other media outlets.
Some students are excited about the programs slated to take place.
“As long as it makes the chances of me getting HIV or AIDS decrease I’m all for it,” said Emanuel Venty, a freshmen mechanical engineering major from Baton Rouge.
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the highest rate of transmission is among persons who have multiple partners, inconsistent use of condoms — if at all — and who are heterosexual.
Dante Harris, a freshman urban forestry major from Baton Rouge, said he thinks the money is a positive step toward increased awareness in the community.
“These programs are good to have because there are a lot of people in Baton Rouge and on campus with HIV (and) AIDS and it must stop,” Harris said.
Black women aged 25 to 34 and black men age 35 to 44 have the highest AIDS death rate and according to Harris it’s because they are not practicing safe sex.
“The rate of AIDS is higher in women because it’s very difficult to get African-American men to use condoms,” Harris said.
Harris said the grant will not only help the university but it will also assist in bringing awareness to the Baton Rouge community.
“A lot of people from Southern have sex partners in Baton Rouge so this affects the whole city,” Harris said.